Capitol Square (or, more properly, Union Square) has been both the geographical and political center of downtown Raleigh ever since the city was surveyed and laid out by William Christmas in 1792. With the massive Capitol building at its center, the square is anchored at its four corners by four imposing church buildings. Encircling the square are various somber stone and brick state government buildings, many of which are fine examples of the particular architectural period during which they were built. The first of these to be built, in 1888, was the Supreme Court building (now Labor); the last, the Museum of History in the 1990s.

For most of the 19th early 20th centuries, though, Capitol Square was surrounded by residences, a three-story brick hotel and the four churches. Later on Raleigh’s first public library, an art deco apartment building and the YMCA were built on the square. These are all gone now.

Government expansion beyond the limits of Capitol Square did not occur until 1962 with the completion of the Legislative Building, straddling (then) Halifax Street one block to the north. The remaining two residences were demolished around 1971.

WW Vass house in 1971, shortly before its demo. One of the last two residences on Capitol Square. The state history museum occupies the site today.

When I was a kid in the ‘60s Capitol Square was a big part of my childhood. My Dad was employed by the state department of Archives and History, and his office occupied a former rooming house in the first block of Halifax St., which was largely still residential at the time. Sometimes instead of taking the bus home from school at Hugh Morson, I would walk down to his office and get a ride home when he got off work. In the meantime I would amuse myself in the Square by climbing on the statues or buying a nickel bag of peanuts from the “Peanut Man” to feed the pigeons.

The Peanut Man always occupied a spot in the square at the head of Fayetteville Street, dispensing his wares from a silver-colored charcoal-fired roaster, and surrounded by flocks of pigeons. Kids loved him! Back then pigeons pretty much had the run of the place, roosting all along building parapets, soiling statues and the like. The state later initiated a crackdown in the mid 1970s to get rid of them, and the first thing to go was the Peanut Man. I don’t think there’re any pigeons left in Capitol Square today.

Christ Church about 1968 with art deco apartments in background.

Christ Church at night in 2008.

All three of the state museums, History, Natural History and the Art Museum, were located on Capitol Square, so a family visit to any of them necessitated a romp in the square as well. The old cannons and guns mounted there were a special attraction to my brothers me, and a visit to the Peanut Man was a given. My family attended Christ Church right there across Wilmington St., and not a few times a pal and I would skip Sunday school and while away that designated holy hour in Capitol Square instead.The Olivia Raney Library in the course of its demolition in 1966.

Same site 42 years later: At night, but no Christmas parade!

The original Olivia Raney Library fronted on Capitol Square at the corner of Hillsboro Street. It was housed in a beautiful Italian Renaissance style building constructed in 1899 and had a red tile roof; the Olivia Raney was Raleigh’s first public library, and only public library until the county system was set up in the early ‘70s. (The Harrison Library for African-Americans was on South Blount St opposite Moore Square, but I don’t know if it was part of the city system then or not.) Anyway, we were regular patrons of Olivia Raney.

Back then the Christmas parade was held at night rather than on Saturday morning as it is now. My family would all head downtown for that event, and while Mom went shopping, Dad took my brothers and me to see the parade. We always staked out the corner at the Olivia Raney because Dad figured that from that vantage point we could enjoy it three times instead of just the one: once, while it progressed up Hillsboro St; twice, while making the turn in front of the Library (…watching the marching bands make that turn was quite impressive, BTW), and finally watching it pass by right in front by the curbside!

Yours truly and bros visit Capitol Square in 1966. Gotta go see the Peanut Man! The Labor and Agriculture Buildings are in the background.

Later, when I was in junior high school at Morson, and my two buddies and I went on our weekend exploratory forays downtown, we always met in centrally located Capitol Square, as there was always something to do while waiting for the others to show up.

Nowadays, with so many of the familiar landmarks gone, Capitol Square is a different kind of place for me. It is still a verdant oasis in the center of town, though, and if I squint hard enough, I can just make out the Peanut Man, stationed by his charcoal roaster, surrounded by flocks of pigeons!

17 Comments:

John06/29/2008

Karl,

These photos are a real treat. The WW Vass house photo was particularly striking.

In doing additional research on this place I learned of a rather sad fact about this house. The last owner of the estate, Miss Eleanor Vass (who sold the property to the state) died the same day the house was demolished, at 94 years old.

Shane07/15/2008

Ahhhhh the peanut man. I have great memories of my grandfather taking me to the square as a small boy to feed the pigeons. I think that may be one of my favorite memories of him.

jimmy02/21/2009

“the peanut man” was a great uncle of mine. my grandfather used to take me downtown when i was a tiny tot, and yes, we always got peanuts to feed the pigeons, but it was more of a family visit for us. my grandfather was checking on his uncle, his mother’s brother. i’m not sure of his story and how he ended up being the peanut man, but i’ll get back to you on it. his name was jenks. either van dorse or burnice (rhymes with furnace). will be seeing my grandmother (in her 90’s, born in raleigh) soon and will ask her more….

NCSU02/21/2009

Does anyone have any pictures of the peanut man and his little cart surrounded by all the pigeons?

Raleigh Boy02/23/2009

Jimmy– wow… the Peanut Man had a real name! Yes, please ask your grandmother anything she can tell you about him and I will post it with this story. And tell her Raleigh Boy sez Hey!

ncsu– I have seen photos of the peanut Man in various books on Raleigh, and I of course have a vivid mental image, but unfortunately I never took any photos. btw– Jimmy, if you happen to have one of your uncle ‘on the job,’ I would love to post it here!

jimmy02/26/2009

his name was burnace jenks. died in the early 70’s. buried at the cemetery just north of the falls of the neuse bridge along with a slew of relatives. story was that he was married at one point, it didn’t work out, he never had kids, used to stay off and on with brothers and sisters around town “he would come by and she would feed him” my grandmother said, speaking of the peanut man’s sister, who would be my great-grandmother.

wow, this has really relit this story for me. i will search for pictures and hit up some more family members…

NCSU02/26/2009

A friend of mine worked for the AP as a photographer for many years and I’m almost positive he did a photo series on the Peanut Man at the Capitol. I’ll see if he still has them or if they became the property of the AP.

I’m sure both the pigeons and the peanut shells created a mess, but I have some fond memories of all that. I can picture Mr. Jenks very clearly.

Raleigh Boy02/27/2009

jimmy– Thanks for supplying the info update on your uncle, Mr Jenks. GNR managing editor and I have discussed doing a post on the ‘Peanut Man’ and his unique role in the history of Capitol Square –and the info from you could be the springboard. And please do pass along any photos of your uncle you might discover– especially any shots of the Peanut Man ‘on the job.’

ncsu– yes, do look into loacating your friend’s photos. We’ll get permission from AP to publish them if need be!

Tim09/02/2009

Jimmy – I found your comments above after someone on Facebook brought up the “Peanut Man.” I went to First Presbyterian as a kid, so he as a frequent sight. I never knew his name til now – thanks.

Fern09/02/2009

This was great info. Who knew, just getting on one website would link me to this piece of history. I have been a member of First Baptist Church on the corner of Wilmington st.all of my life and I have fond memories of the Peanut Man whom we called the Pigeon Man. Thanks Jimmy and thanks Tim for following up. Facebook is really a great connection.

Kent02/18/2011

I realize it’s been almost two years since some of the previuos comments, but regarding the Peanut Man: if you are on Facebook, there are two different groups about growing up in Raleigh, and at least one of them has photos of him.

raleighgirl02/18/2011

Back in my (much) younger days, I babysat for a kid whose mother suggested I take him down to Capitol Square (among other places) for entertainment. I’d buy peanuts from The Peanut Man and then to the great delight of my young charge, I’d place the peanuts along my outstretched arm, tops of my feet, top of my head and the pigeons would alight on me and eat the peanuts. Bird Girl of Capitol Square! UGH… can’t believe I did that!

Tim in Wendell09/28/2012

There is an article on The Peanut Man, with photos and a back story, in the October 2012 issue of Our State magazine. Cannot visit the article on-line until next month’s issue comes out, I guess. Thought folks might be interested.
Thanks for the great info on all things Raleigh on this site. (Not very good for productivity a work, though.)

Bob T01/24/2013

Hey, Raleigh Boy. My dad worked for the N.C. Industrial Commission during my Morson days. I would often head downtown after school for fries and a coke at Walgreen’s or to spend time on Capitol Square or in the Hall of History, which was in the Education building where my dad’s office was located. I could catch a ride with him to our Woodcrest home if I spent much time in those pursuits.

Tom01/24/2013

I remember the “peanut man” very well. He made the back cover of Life magazine covered with pigeons in either the “1950s” or”1960s.” He kept the pigeons and squirrels happy. He was a landmark in downtown Raleigh. I can’t go across the capitol grounds today without thinking of him.

Kyle12/25/2014

I just happened to come across this flickr page when searching for the peanut man. Really great pictures.